‘Freak’ declarations might be penalised

Press, 7 December 1978, Page 36

‘Freak’ declarations might be penalised

By JOHN COFFEY

i Cricket administrators in! Canterbury have spent a| considerable time over the 1 last few days pondering ] what constitutes a “freak . declaration” under their association’s local rules and 1 playing conditions. The cause of their deep , thinking was the. showery j weather in Christchurch last Saturday which prevented ( starts being made in four , matches of two days dura- j tion, including the first- | grade game between Burn- . side West-University and t Riccarton. The rain was heavier ini, the north-western suburbs |, and three of the affected fix-i tures were to have been held I ■ at Ham; the other was a|, third-grade match set down!] for St Thomas’s College. But the deliberations have]; not provided any answers,l, and the convener of the: association’s management!; committee (Mr N. G. Ock-b well) said yesterday that it; was not possible to givei< captains any definite guide- ; lines before the fifth round Is is to be completed next Sat-j, urday. “There has been a thought!I that the games which were < not started would be played:l on a pne-day basis. But that i< usually only occurs when a I whole round is postponed It and with the approval of the’’

I management committee,” Mr (Ockwell said. I "It would probably be I possible if consent was I given by all of the other teams in those grades. That would be unlikely, for some : sides would no doubt regard it as placing themselves at a disadvantage in chasing an I elusive outright win while ■ their rivals could gain four : points in a limited-over affair,” he said. So, there is virtually no chance that officialdom I would regard the fixtures at I Ham and St Thomas’s College as anything other than a continuation of the scheduled two-day fifth round. The obvious tactic of a ■captain winning the toss I would be to field in the ! I hope of gaining bowling per-1 Iformance points; that move! 'could be countered by the: I batting captain declaring at; I the fall of the second wicket! I (the first bowling point is] 'recorded after three dis-1 (missals have been made);: land, of course, his rival; ! would follow suit. I The first-innings scores] I could well be something like 20/2 by each team, and the] I second innings — and the; j quest for outright victory —I (begin ahead of some of! those in games which were] only partly interrupted by] ‘the weather on the opening] (day. Under the C.C.A. by-laws,! (the management committee] '“will not sanction any freak]

declarations, irrespective of circumstances, and any infringement of this rule shall render the teams concerned liable to a penalty.” Mr Ockwell said that the competitions committee would be keeping a keen eye on match scores and any suspicious occurrences would be discussed by the management committee at its meeting next Tuesday! evening. The usual penalty! imposed for rule infringements is loss of points. I